FINANCE Secretary Kate Forbes has urged Priti Patel to help avoid a public health staffing crisis – after the Home Office ignored seven calls for a meeting.
In a letter released today, Forbes reveals how Scottish Public Finance and Migration Minister Ben Macpherson has sent seven different requests to the Home Office asking to meet his UK counterpart over fears that post-Brexit rules will cut off the supply of workers Scotland needs.
His official requests for a “ministerial level meeting” were sent to the UK Immigration Minister Kevin Foster.
In her letter to Patel, Forbes says Westminster must work with Holyrood to “ensure that public health does not become adversely affected as a result of leaving the EU, particularly during a critical time in our fight against Covid-19”.
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She states: “I appreciate that we have different views on a range of issues but I trust that we have a shared commitment to ensuring that employers in the public and private sector are able to attract and retain the skilled staff that they need.
“The Scottish Government has been clear that we want to engage positively to develop solutions that are evidence-based, deliverable and work for Scotland. The Minister for Public Finance and Migration has now written seven times to the Immigration Minister seeking a ministerial level meeting to discuss these important issues.
“It is unfortunate that so far there has been no agreement to a meeting and I trust that in the interests of engagement and transparency there will now be greater opportunities for discussions.”
Forbes is calling for social care workers to be added to the Scotland Shortage Occupation List, which reduces the pay barriers for incoming workers from £25,600 to £20,480.
It’s under the control of the UK Government and there is currently “no consultation” with the Scottish Government or other stakeholders, the SNP administration says.
Current recommendations suggest senior care workers should be added to the UK list, but the Scottish Government says that would fail to address concerns raised by the care sector in Scotland, which is already struggling with staff shortages and has warned of serious problems after freedom of movement ends on December 31.
Forbes said: “As winter approaches, we need to anticipate that the pressure on staff will rise even further. We should be doing all we reasonably can to reduce that pressure to ensure appropriate standards of care are given to the most vulnerable. The Scottish Government should have the ability to influence and determine what is on the Scotland Shortage Occupation List.”
The Home Office was contacted for comment.
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